A college students view on healthy, cheap meals

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Monthly Archives: April 2017

As the semester comes to a close, so does my time here at Frugal Food. I think that this blog was a really fun semester project and who knows..maybe I’ll keep going with it! I posted a total of 22 different recipes and it can be hard to remember all of them, and I must say that I have a few favorites. So, here’s to my top 5 favorites on Frugal Food!

1. Caprese Panini

-This panini was one of my first posts during the semester and it’s still one of my go to’s. You can never go wrong with a panini, especially one that has pesto and mozzarella.

2. Chicken Avocado Burrito Wrap

Avocado, cheese and chicken. Need I say more? This wrap is super easy to make and is a great lunch.

3. Bell Pepper Egg-In-A-Hole

This dish is good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Simply delicious and a unique take on the classic egg-in-a-hole.

4. Banana Bread

Banana bread will always have my heart. If you are a victim of forgetting to eat your bananas before they go overly ripe…make the banana bread. I like to add chocolate chips for something a little extra.

5. Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

This was the other post I made this week and it completely has me understanding the overnight oats craze. They’re nutritious, fast, easy and soooooo good. There’s so many different recipes to try. The possibilities for breakfast are endless.

And that’s a wrap. I hope that these posts were a good reference and inspired some cool ideas.

If you are currently in the world of Pinterest or are in the habit of keeping up with the term overnight oats. Essentially, it is oatmeal you make in a mason jar and the mixture usually looks really cute and tasty. I had to admit that I was pretty skeptical. Is it really that good and worth the hassle for that matter? So…obviously I had to see for myself. Today’s post is all about apple cinnamon overnight oats. A great mixture of protein and complex carbs to kick off your morning!
It only takes 10 minutes to make and uses 5 ingredients.

(I also apologize that there are no step by step pictures in this post. For some unknown reason, my computer will not let me upload the files. However, there are helpful demonstrations on platforms such as Pinterest).

Overall thoughts: Okay, so I can understand the overnight oats craze now. They are pretty tasty and a convenient breakfast. I was afraid that the mixture was going to be somewhat bland, but the honey and cinnamon made it have an actual taste. Next time I’d like to do something with more berries like blueberries and raspberries.

The weather continues to be as beautiful as ever! Spring is here, folks. Some friends and I decided to spend this lovely Saturday hiking. We found this 10 mile trail with a constant view of the lake, and all in all it was a great day. We obviously needed some snacks for this trip and in the end we decided to try a twist on the oatmeal cookie. A.k.a…oatmeal cookie energy bites (no bake of course). I have to say these turned out really good and I would make this snack again in a heartbeat. 3 words to describe this snack: easy, healthy and amazing.

Overall thoughts: This is a really good take on a mini cookie, and it’s soooooo delicious! A couple of tips for next time is to use mini chocolate chips (not sure why I didn’t see that one coming) Not all the honey and peanut butter is necessarily needed. Add a little bit at a time until you find the right amount and consistency to roll into bites. Overall, a great recipe for spring and summer!
Happy Cooking!

Okay, can we just talk about this BEAUTIFUL weather? Blue skies, nothing but sun and 75 degrees out..you know what that means. That’s right. Cook out season is upon us! Yesterday, friends gathered for a nice cookout dinner: potluck style. I was in charge of desserts and as I was thinking of what I could easily whip up, the question “what speaks summer?” popped into my head. The answer? Popsicles. I don’t know about you, but I have fond childhood memories of popsicles. I decided on blueberry greek yogurt popsicles. This recipe is easy, cost effective and of course; delicious. These popsicles are protein packed, gluten free which makes for a great guilt-free snack.
On a bad note: I couldn’t upload the tutorial pictures due to my computer. So…use your imagination.

Directions:
1. Blend blueberries throughly on high speed until it’s at a smoothie like consistency
2. Pour mixture into a large bowl and mix in the honey and yogurt, but make sure you don’t fully mix in these ingredients. You’re going to want patches of blue/purple and white.

Overall thoughts:
I LOVE THESE POPSICLES. The end product was a great, creamy and tasty mixture that everyone loved and wanted more of! The one modification I would make for next time is to add more honey which would make it sweeter. I will definitely be making these again with different fruits and flavors!

It is for several reasons that I am dedicating this post to the importance of water. Here at Frugal Food, overall health is extremely important and it must be emphasized why staying hydrated is a priority. In all reality, water is a complete miracle drinks. It can be easy to neglect your H20 by forgetting or opting for different drinks like soda or iced coffee. But, fear not! I have three easy tips and reasons as to why water should be your choice of drink.

1. Say goodbye to headaches and fatigue. Water is key more keeping steady energy throughout the day. Dehydration can cause severe fatigue and loss of concentration throughout the day. Water can also be a natural remedy for headaches!

2. Flush out those toxins and maybe even lose some weight. Constantly drinking water is the easiest way to get rid of water bloat because when the body is dehydrated toxins cannot be rid of effectively and fat ends up sticking around which leads to weight gain. Staying hydrated promotes weight loss due to the water making you feel full and will help with not overeating.

3. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and a cute one at that. Having a water bottle with you while going to class, etc. will help with your water intake but having a cute one will actually make you want to have it around. Target and Walmart has so many with vibrant colors and patterns of all shapes and sizes!

Hopefully these facts help to see that water should be your drink of choice!

So, a typical thing happened. I bought a bulk of bananas thinking, “I’ll have no problem eating these quick” and I sort of neglected them. At breakfast this morning, I looked at those poor, black bananas and let me tell you..it was a sad sight. So, I did what anyone would do; make some delicious banana bread. Depending on the recipe, banana bread can be a little fattening, but I made some alternative switches! Yes, I know. That’s a little risky but honestly it was still pretty delicious.
Overall Cost: $4

Substitutes can really come in handy in an array of situations. Say you weren’t able to make it to the grocery store for eggs or butter, there’s not much left in the fridge, or maybe you’re trying to make some simple changes in your diet. These easy switches should be of common knowledge when it comes to smart cooking and a modest budget. This post will cover 4 life changing alternatives to your everyday grocery items.

1. Apple Sauce over butter
Although butter is a staple for the kitchen and has a heavy endorsement from Paula Dean, you can’t ignore the fat and caloric details. A little butter won’t hurt, but neither will some hardy applesauce! The rule of thumb for this trick is to replace half of the amount. (Ex. 1 cup of butter means 1/2 cup of applesauce). Last I checked, a jar of applesauce costs about $2.50. Score.

2. Try some mashed..cauliflower
I know, this seems like kind of a stretch to replace good ole mashed potatoes with cauliflower, but don’t knock it until you try it! This is a significant healthy alternative due to the amount of saturated fat seen in mashed potatoes. Story time: When I was little, my mom made mashed cauliflower and I was rather picky. She convinced me that it was a new potato that scientists invented and that I had to try it. (Yes, 10 year old Sarah was a little gullible). Anyways, it was actually pretty good.

3. Lettuce leafs as a tortilla
Lettuce wraps are pretty good, my friends. It’s pretty obvious why this substitute is worth mentioning. (Carbs vs. Veggies). For a good veggie wrap use a sturdier green. Gotta get those veggies in.

5. Ever heard of quinoa?
Quinoa is a complex grain that looks a lot like rice, but it has so much more nutritional value than rice ever will. Some examples include fiber and protein. It’s not that hard to find either, you can find it on any food shelf. Although it is a tad more expensive than rice (so not much), it’s an alternative to consider.

I do realize that it has been a while since I posted, but that’s what a break is for! Vacation is nice and now I am recharged, ready to take on the rest of the semester. I started today off right with a nice breakfast. It’s a traditional egg-in-a-hole..with a twist. Instead of bread, I used a red bell pepper! Add some cheese and you get a delicious, protein packed breakfast that will always leave you wanting more.

Overall Cost: $3

Ingredients:

-1 bell pepper of any color ($1.25)

-3 eggs ($1)

-1/4 cups of cheese (.75 cents)

-salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cut bell pepper into medium sized slices and cut any seeds out

2. Put a sauce pan on medium high heat and sauté the bell peppers for a minute

3. Crack the eggs and pour each egg in slowly, either way the egg may overflow.

4. Add some salt and pepper on each egg-in-a-hole and fry for 3 minutes on each side.

5. Top with cheese

6. Enjoy!

Overall Thoughts: This was such a good breakfast! I do realize the presentation isn’t the best, but the taste is spectacular. It only took 5 minutes to make these bad boys, and I will definitely be making these again. Until next time.